


Daffodils (A Prequel to "In Fields of Flowers")

by melodramma



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 16:16:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17267315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodramma/pseuds/melodramma
Summary: Just a one-shot of what happened the night before Nijah met Julian.





	Daffodils (A Prequel to "In Fields of Flowers")

“No, Nijah. No way.”

She nearly stood from her seat on her bed. Why would her friend be tearing her down this way?

“How could you tell me you’re leaving in less than two days?”

Nijah had a feeling that Asra, who she had known since she was a teenager, would not approve. He has always wanted to keep his friends close to him, shut out from the rest of the city’s people. But this was an apprenticeship she had studied hard for, studied for years to even get the chance to apply. And now, it was all in her hands.

“You know I’ve been training to be a doctor for a long time. Working at the Lazaret is something that can help start my career!”

“Just tell me one thing you can get from going there.” He said, running his fingers through his hair as he paced back and forth in her bedroom. The shadow of the evening had fallen, casting a dark veil over his disappointed features. Before she could speak to defend herself, he cut her off, “One GOOD thing.”

“That’s obvious, Asra,” she said without skipping a beat, “this would give me first hand experience to help patients out. This would give me the opportunity to save lives. Shouldn’t that be enough for you?”

“But will you even make it out, Nijah?”

“What do you mean? Of course I will.” She ran her fingers over her temples to find some relief.

“Nijah, no one has ever made it out of the Lazaret alive. Going there is like receiving a death sentence.”

She stood up and crossed her arms. “Do you think I’m not good enough as a doctor to survive?”

“No! I never said that!” Asra was raising his voice, his hands leaving his hair and cutting through the air for emphasis.

“Are you saying that I can’t take care of myself?”

“No…”

“Then why don’t you want me to go?”

“Because!” He shouted, making her heart skip a beat. She took a step back out of fear, her eyes widening and her arms moving to defend herself. Her flashback had already begun as she cowered before him, body trembling as if she was bracing for impact.

He realized his mistake. He knew he shouldn’t yell at her like that.

“Nijah…” He grabbed her wrists gently, pulling her closer to him. She could see his shoulders begin to shake as his head hung low. She had never seen Asra so emotional like this. Usually, their time was spent in the family’s shop, where he was showing her his deck of cards and teaching her how to play with them, reading books together to fine tune their hobbies, or spending time with the plants that she grew. Whenever they spent time together, he was smiling, laughing, enjoying the time they had together.

Sure, he had rough days, and she was always there to comfort him. He would go on and on about people she would never meet, entities that hurt him over and over again that made him hurt so much, inside and out. Even though she couldn’t always help him with his problems, she was always there with a smile and a hug.

 

_“Hey,” she told him, “it’s going to be okay. You’re stronger than you think.”_

_“Mmm… really?” He sniffled._

_“Of course.” She said, pulling off her overcoat to show off her shoulders. “It doesn’t even compare to what you’re going through, but I’ve always been teased about my freckles. The kids in elementary school always made fun of me, thinking I had some disease. I hated myself for it, but now I’ve learned just to cover it up to not draw attention.”_

_“So… you want me to hide my problems?”_

_“No! Just work out a solution that makes you feel better. Do what’s best for you. You know what I mean?”_

_“Mhmm, I get it now.” Asra wiped away a tear, a small grin growing on his face. “Thanks, Nijah.” He had leaned in for a hug, tugging her close to his chest. She felt his strong heartbeat, and she felt at ease in his arms._

 

“Nijah…” Asra whispered, bringing her back to the moment.

“Yes, Asra?”

His fingers trailed from her wrists, lightly brushing the skin of her arms, up her neck to caress her face. He brought his forehead in to hers, and she could smell the tears that had fallen down his cheeks.

“I don’t want to lose you… I love you.”

Nijah was speechless. She had never thought that he would be saying these kinds of things about her.

“I can’t have you walking out of my life like this. Please, you mean more to me than you will ever know.” His thumb was brushing against her cheekbone, his eyes searching for any shared feelings. “Stay. For me.”

The thought of it nearly enraged her.

“Asra, you say you need me so badly,” she pushed his hands away from her face, “but then why do I find you gone for months at a time with no warning? You’re just gone?”

“You… you wouldn’t understand.” He admitted. “There are a lot of things I haven’t told you about me.”

“You say I mean a lot to you, but you’re hiding secrets from me?”

“Listen.” Asra spoke softly, trying to calm you both down. “If you stayed, I would tell you everything. Why I never went to school with you. Why I carry around that deck of cards wherever I go. Why I go away for a long time. And, if you want…” he clasped his hands together, like a beggar praying for another chance, “…I can take you with me. Wherever I go. You never have to leave my side. Just say the word, and I’m all yours, Nijah.”

She watched him as he pleaded for her to stay. Deep in her heart, she knew he could make her happy. He has for the past seven years, and she didn’t want to lose something she had for so long.

But in her heart, she knew what she had to do.

“I’m sorry, Asra. I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to the Lazaret.”

The room was silent for a moment as Asra’s pupils grew smaller. He unfolded his hands, allowing them to drop to his sides. His head hung once more, abandoning all hope that he could share a future with her. The only woman who had shown him any care for years.

He bent down towards the floor, refusing to look at her for fear he would break in front of her. “I hope you’re happy, Nijah.” Without another word, he made his way to her doorway, taking great care to shut it quietly as to not wake her parents.

“Wait, Asra…”

But when Nijah turned around, he was nowhere to be found. Gone from her life as quickly as he came in to it.


End file.
